Starching-machine.



No. 647,444. Patented Apr. l0, I900.

W. W. F'INTON.

STARCHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 22, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM W. FINTON, OF FORT DODGE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO A. CRAIG, OF

SAME PLACE.

STARCHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 647,444, dated April10, 1900. Application filed December 22, 1898- Serial No. 700,086. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, WILLIAMW.FINTON, of the city of Fort Dodge, Webstercou nty, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Starching-Machines, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to starchingmachines; and it consists of the novelconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown,described, and claimed.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved starching-machine. Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a Vertical sectional View takenapproximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a vertical sectionalview of the starching-pan made use of in my improved machine. Fig. 5 isa vertical sectional view taken'ap proximately on the line 5 5 of Fig.4.

In the construction of my improved starching-machine I make use of apair of cast standards or side frames 1, the upper ends of which areframed together by the cross-bars 2. Removably located in the upper endof this frame so formed is a starching-pan 3, which is provided with asuitable outlet 4. A front table 5 is arranged upon the forward one ofthe cross-bars 2, immediately above the forward edge of thestarching-pan 3, and arear table 6 is arranged upon the rear cross-barimmediately above the rear end of the starching-pan 3.

Arranged on top ofthe frames 1 and in the centers thereof are the alinedbearings 7, in which is rotatably arranged the trunnions or bearings ofa roller 8, the surface of which roller is provided with a layer orlayers of elastic absorbent material, such as felt. Upon one of thetrunuions or bearings of this roller outside the frame of the machine isrigidly located a gear-wheel 9.

Extending transversely through the frame of the machine and journaled insuitable bearings therein immediately below this roller 8 and thestarching-pan 3 is a shaft 10, upon one end of which outside the frameis rigidly fixed a gear-wheel 11, that meshes with the gear-wheel 9, andoutside said gear-wheel 11, upon said shaft 10, are located tight andloose pulleys 1.2 and 13, the same being adapted to receive a drivenbelt, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) which belt furnishes the motivepower for my improved starching-machine. Located on the end of thisshaft 10, opposite theend on which these pulleys are located, is

a sprocket-wheel 14'. J ournaled in suitable bearings 1.5, that arelocated upon the frame in front of the bearings 7, are the trunnions ofa roller 15, which roller is much smaller in diameter than is the roller8, and said roller 15 occupies the space between said roller 8 and thefront edge of the starching-pan 3.

Fixed upon the inside faces of the ends of the starching-pan 3 are theUshaped journal-bearings 16 and 17, in which bearings 16 are journaledthe trunnions of a small roller 18,the same operating against the underside of and in direct alinement with the large roller 8, and said roller18 being also provided with an elastic absorbent surface.

Journaled in the bearings 17 are the trunnions of a roller 19, in everyway similar to the roller 18 just described, said roller 19 bearingagainst the lower and rear side of the roller 8.

Fixed to and extending upwardly from the top side of the frame of themachine, at a point between the bearings 7 and the rear table 6, are thesupporting-frames 20, the same being provided with vertical slots 21,and said supporting-frames are provided at their upper ends withrearwardly-extending brackets 22, that support the horizontally-alinedjournalbearings 23. Arranged in the lower ends of the'slots 20 are thejournal-boxes 24, in which .are rotatably arranged the trunnions of aroller 25, the same being identical in construction and approximately ofthe same size as is the roller 8, and upon the trunnion that extendsthrough one of these journal-boxes 24, on the side of the machine-0nwhich the sprocket-wheel 14 is located, is located a sprocket-wheel 26,and a sprocket-chain 27 connects said sprocket-wheel 26 with thesprocket-wheel 14. The roller 25 bears directly upon the roller 8, andjournaled in boxes 28, located in the upper ends of the slots 21, arethe trunnions of a roller 29, in every way similar to the rollers 25 and8, previously described, said roller 29 being provided with the elasticabsorbent surface and bearing directly upon the roller 25. A smallroller 30 has its trunnions journaled in the horizontally-alinedbearings 23, carried by the brackets 22, and said roller 30 bears uponthe upper and rear side of the roller 29. A plurality of endless cords31 pass around the roller 15*, between said roller 15" and the roller 8,around the lower and rear side of said roller 8, between said roller 8and the small rollers 18 and 19, between said roller 8 and the roller25, around the front of said roller 25, between said roller 25 and theroller 29, around the rear side of said roller 29, over the roller 30,downwardly behind the roller 25, and beneath the rollers 19 and 18 tothe roller 15.

Before using my improved starching-machine it is necessary that thestarching-pan *3 be partially. filled with liquid starch. The

operator throws the belt from the loose pulley 13 onto the tight pulley12, and this necessarily rotates the shaft 10, and the rotary motionthereof is imparted by means of the gearwheels 11 and 9 to the roller 8,on one of the trunnions of which is located said gear-wheel 9, androtary motion will also be imparted to the roller 25 by reason of thesprocket-chain 27 passing around the sprocket-wheel 26, lo cated uponone of the trunnions of said roller 25. As a result of the rotary motionthus imparted to the two principal rollers the various other rollerswill operate, and the endless cords will pass around and between theroll ers, as hereinbefore indicated, and when the machine has run a veryshort time the yield ing absorbent surface of the small roller 18 willhave completely saturated the absorbent surface of the roller 8 withstarch, and the surfaces of the other rollers provided with the elasticabsorbent surfaces will be more or less saturated with the starch. Thecollars, ends, and like articles to be starched are placed upon thefront table 5, from whence they are fed onto the cords passing over theroller 15 and by said cords will be carried downwardly between saidroller 15 and the roller 8, and from thence the articles will passbetween the rollers Sand 18, next between the rollers 8 and 19, andfinally between the rollers 8 and 25. The operator standing in front ofthe machine manually engages the article as it emerges from between the.rollers 8 and 25 and allows it to again pass around the roller 8, asjust described, this action taking place a number of times as requiredto thorarrow A, Fig. 8.

oughly starch said article. As said article passes between the variousrollers having the yielding or elastic absorbent surfaces and saidsurfaces being saturated with starch a certain amount of the starch willbe forced into and through the article from each side, and thus saidarticle will be very thoroughly starched. The direction in which thearticle passes around the roller 8 is indicated by the When the articlehas been sufficiently starched, it may be passed be tween the rollers 25and 29, around the rear side of said roller 29, and over the roller 30,in

the direction as indicated by the arrow B, Fig. 3, this operationremoving all excess starch from the article, and, finally, the articleis deposited upon the rear table 6, from whence it may be taken to theironing-table.

A starching-machine of my improved construction is very simple, compact,and easily operated, the starch is forced completely through the articlefrom each side thereof, there is no starch left in the corners of thearticle that is being starched, there are no wrinkles formed in saidarticle, and said article does not need to be wiped after being passedthrough the machine.

Much time and labor are saved by the use of a machine of my improvedconstruction and very little starch is required to satisfactorily starcha number of articles.

I claim- A starching-machine, comprising a pair of side frames, astarching-pan carried by said frames, supporting-framescarried by saidside frames, a pair of starching-rollers 8 and 25 operating above thesaid starching-pan, a

roller operating in the starching-pan and against the lowermost of thefirst-mentioned rollers for conducting the starch thereto, a roller 29above and against the roller 25 for removing all excess starch, aguide-roller 30 operating against the roller 29, a guide-roller 15 infront of the lowest of said starchingrollers, and a plurality of endlesscords passing between the said starching-rollers and around the saidguide-rollers, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. FINTON. Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, JOHN G. HIGDON.

